


A Marvelous Sight

by fuzipenguin



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Cesarean Section, Established Relationship, M/M, Minor Injuries, Other, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Premature Babies, Serious Injuries, Spark Sexual Interfacing (Transformers), Sperm Donation, Sticky Sexual Interfacing (Transformers), Transfluid Donation, Transformers Spark Bonds, Twincest, Unplanned Pregnancy, blood transfusion, fraternal twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:55:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29684310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzipenguin/pseuds/fuzipenguin
Summary: A one in a million chance - is Sideswipe's life worth the risk for a miracle?
Relationships: Sideswipe/Sunstreaker (Transformers)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 73





	1. First Trimester

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lambotwinlove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lambotwinlove/gifts).



> A request fill for Sunstreaker sparks up Sideswipe against all odds and what that could entail.

“How’s your hip?”

The words were whispered against the wet patch on Sideswipe’s throat that Sunstreaker had been leisurely creating with his lips and glossa. Sideswipe shivered as the brush of Sunstreaker’s ex-vent caressed the damp cables there and he bucked his hips into his twin’s next slow thrust.

“Well, I don’t think I could fuck you up against the wall again tonight, but other than that, it’s not bad.”

Sunstreaker referred to Sideswipe’s left hip joint, damaged in the battle yesterday. It was healed enough for Ratchet to kick him out of the Bay, but not enough to put him back on duty. So, he was restricted to his quarters with orders to ‘take it easy’. Getting railed by Sunstreaker while bent over the couch only to turn around and take his brother up against the wall right after they had had their first overloads probably wasn’t Ratchet’s definition of ‘taking it easy’.

But.

Needs must.

They were working on their third overload now, one which was slow and gentle in coming. Sideswipe’s hip _did_ ache a little, which was why he didn’t have that leg wrapped around Sunstreaker’s waist like the right one currently was. Sunstreaker probably knew Sideswipe was a little uncomfortable just based on that alone.

To ask though, meant Sunstreaker had something in mind.

“Good.” Sunstreaker’s hand slid down and cupped the slight swell of the bad hip, gently caressing it for a moment. “Up for a merge?”

Merging while interfacing took a bit of maneuvering. Their chest cavities were deep and had to be lined up directly which meant whoever was on the bottom had to scrunch up a bit. It would probably tweak Sideswipe’s hip, but he thought it was more than worth it.

“Always,” Sideswipe replied, the locks on his chestplates already clicking open. Sunstreaker leaned back slightly and slipped his arms beneath Sideswipe’s knees, gently rolling his lower half upwards before folding down on top of Sideswipe’s chest.

“Hey. Fancy meeting you here,” Sideswipe said with a grin as Sunstreaker rested their forehelms together. His optic shutters fluttered as their chestplates transformed aside, the space between them heating up as their sparks were exposed. It only got hotter when their crystals retracted, and their bare cores began meshing at the outer coronas.

Sunstreaker rolled his optics, his thrusts momentarily paused until their sparks could fully combine. Instead, he ground his pelvis against Sideswipe’s in small little circles, the head of his spike pressing against Sideswipe’s ceiling node and making his vents catch as sparks lit up his sensor net.

“Were you expecting someone else?” Sunstreaker asked, quirking an orbital ridge.

Before Sideswipe could respond, their sparks tugged on one another, making them moan almost in unison. A liquid warmth began spreading out from Sideswipe’s belly, slowly infiltrating all his limbs.

“Nope,” Sideswipe said faintly. “Only ever want you. Want you always.”

Their sparks wove together more deeply, the bond between them solidifying even further. Very few people knew that they were not split-spark, but actually fraternal twins. Two separate individuals mated for life from birth.

It created an advantage over a pair of split-sparks. Whereas merges between both pairs eventually disintegrated on their own, mated merges tended to last longer. So, it was a little easier to time their overloads to the climax of the merge which would make for a very satisfying end to their night.

“Guess I’m stuck with you, huh?” Sunstreaker muttered, the words soft and intimate in the small amount of space between them. He shifted his helm so that he could nuzzle Sideswipe’s cheek, pressing a sloppy kiss at the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah… oh, frag, that feels so good…!” Sideswipe gasped as the merge took hold completely. He buried himself in their bond, meeting Sunstreaker halfway down. “Give me everything…”

Sunstreaker resumed his thrusts, shorter and more stabbing, the head of his spike prodding at Sideswipe’s ceiling node and gestational tank opening alternatively. Through their bond, Sideswipe experienced how his valve felt around Sunstreaker’s spike, how it rippled around him enticingly. In return, Sunstreaker felt everything Sideswipe did, and they passed everything back and forth as their smaller, individual sparks became one overlarge ball of molten heat.

He wanted to keep his gaze on Sunstreaker’s face, but the sensations were too much, and his optics closed of their own volition. Not that it mattered. They were connected everywhere else, part of a peaceful whole, one which Sideswipe succumbed to with an eager moan.

\--

Several months later…

Back-to-back battles were exhausting, even for the two of them. It was routine by now though, so Sideswipe had thought nothing of the drag he felt when they drove out that morning, almost as if the gravity on Earth had been set a few degrees stronger than normal. His fuel tank was half full, and while none of his injuries from the previous fight were completely healed, there was nothing to keep him bed bound. He was as fit to fight as he was ever going to be so he’d just have to suck it up and conserve energy where he could.

Sideswipe had incapacitated four ‘cons by the time he fired up his jetpack with a deep sense of relief. It did all the work of keeping him mobile until he landed on top of Dirge and realized that he should have been a lot more careful from the beginning.

_Uh, Sunny?_ Sideswipe sent, clawed hands frantically ripping into an area just behind Dirge’s cockpit. It was where the directional sensory relays lived; he was sure that Dirge wouldn’t land just because Sideswipe was feeling a little faint.

Ok, a lot faint.

_What?_ Sunstreaker snarled. Sideswipe paid it no mind. Sunstreaker got snarly with _everyone_ during battles, even Sideswipe.

_I’m gonna be coming down hard,_ Sideswipe admitted, letting a hint of his unease and fear leak past his bond block. He held on to Dirge with all the strength left in his body while simultaneously trying to keep the plane’s nose up. Maybe he had been a little too enthusiastic with tearing into the relay for Dirge’s altimeter.

_… why? Are you hurt?_

_Um… yes? I think?_

_You think?! You either are or you aren’t!_ Sunstreaker snapped.

_I may pass out. I don’t know. I feel weird,_ Sideswipe replied, watching the ground coming up faster than he would have liked. _Just… just help me when I land, ok?_

When Sideswipe judged that they were about a hundred feet above the ground, he booted up his jetpack and jerked away from Dirge. At the same time, Dirge started to barrel roll and his wing clipped Sideswipe’s side, sending him on a roll of his own. Head spinning and not quite able to tell which way was up, Sideswipe landed hard and slid several feet before coming to an extremely ungraceful stop.

“Ow,” he muttered, spitting a clump of grassy dirt out of his mouth. “Definitely lost the best landing award today.”

“Sides!”

Sunstreaker raced up to him, ducking the laser fire a Seeker flying overhead aimed in his direction. He looked worried and rightly so. Sideswipe had fallen from much higher without the use of his jetpack and had still managed to land with more grace and dignity than he just had.

“Where are you hit?” Sunstreaker demanded, hooking his hands beneath Sideswipe’s arms and dragging him towards the Autobot rearguard. Fortunately, Sideswipe had managed to direct Dirge to crash relatively close by and it didn’t take long before the two of them were behind Prowl and Bluestreak. Sunstreaker must have considered the position safe enough because once there, he carefully lowered Sideswipe to the ground and then dropped to his knees beside him.

“I’m _not_ hit,” Sideswipe gasped, his engine redlining even though he wasn’t doing anything any longer. The weakness had only grown, which was honestly starting to freak Sideswipe out. His entire frame felt leaden and his fuel pump raced like it would burst from his chest at any moment.

Sunstreaker didn’t seem to believe him; he patted him down, first at the most crucial areas of a mech’s frame and then more thoroughly.

“You… you’re _not_ hit,” Sunstreaker said in confusion, holding up a hand. There was char and some energon coating his fingers, but it wasn’t Sideswipe’s. “What the frag’s wrong? Did Megatron have some ray gun of doom that I missed?”

“Don’t… don’t think so…” Sideswipe said, letting his head thump back against the hard packed dirt. “Frag. Frag, Sunny, there’s something really wrong.”

He knew it with every ounce of his being, but he just couldn’t pinpoint what it stemmed from. All his internal diagnostics kept coming back with errors or with messages he had no idea how to interpret. He needed a doctor.

“Am I sidelining you two?” Prowl called over his shoulder. Sideswipe looked up to see the tactician carefully sighting along his rifle before pulling the trigger. It was nothing for Prowl’s intricate processor to triangulate shots while still formulating battle plans. Or to consider who was coming off the field because of injuries. It’s why he often positioned himself close to the medics if possible.

“Sunny can…”

“Sunny can’t,” Sunstreaker interjected. “I’m getting Sides back to the Ark. I think he may have a virus or something. It’s like his systems are shutting down.”

That was apparently worrisome enough for Prowl to actually look at the two of them, his optics assessing. “Are you experiencing any symptoms?”

“No. But I’d rather get him out of here if it is something contagious,” Sunstreaker said, getting up and unceremoniously hauling Sideswipe back to his feet.

“Very well,” Prowl said, immediately returning his attention back to his rifle sights.

Sideswipe could have been a little insulted by the seemingly uncaring dismissal, but they all knew by now that that was how Prowl was mid-fight. His emotional algorithms were suppressed in favor of his tac-net and in fact, he cared very deeply about them all.

“Come on. We’ll see if First Aid can bring you in,” Sunstreaker grimly, hefting Sideswipe up when his legs sagged beneath him. “If not, I’ll drag you all the way back there myself.”

\--

“Well, that can’t be right,” Hoist muttered. He blinked twice before his optics went hazy again, rescanning Sideswipe’s frame.

Sunstreaker glanced over at his twin to see him start to tremble. He reached out a hand, reassuringly placing it on Sideswipe’s shoulder. “Do you need anything?”

“I need Hoist not to say ‘that can’t be right’,” Sideswipe replied, trying to smile. It ended up looking more like a pained grimace.

“My apologies,” Hoist said absently. “But I’m getting readings that should not be possible… Ratchet!”

“Oh, fuck,” Sideswipe whispered, clutching Sunstreaker’s hand. “I must be dying.”

“You’re not dying,” Sunstreaker replied with a huff, although internally, he wondered. Hoist was a capable doctor in his own right. If he was asking for Ratchet, there had to be a real problem. Sunstreaker only hoped it was with Hoist’s own diagnostic capabilities.

“What? I’m a little busy!” Ratchet called back from across the room.

“Take a look at this, please,” Hoist said, optics flickering again as he presumably sent the scan over a short wave comm to the CMO.

Across the room, Sunstreaker watched Ratchet’s back stiffen and his hands paused a moment before resuming work within Jazz’s abdomen.

“Ok, that’s weird… but he’s also not about to kick it any time soon. Hoist, move on to Cliffjumper. Sides, I’ll be with you after I finish the more critical cases. I’m sorry, I’m sure you have questions, but you’ll keep. Try and get some rest,” Ratchet instructed.

Sideswipe sagged in place. “Oh, thank Primus,” he muttered. “I can handle weird.”

Sunstreaker growled, his fingers tightening on Sideswipe’s shoulder. He couldn’t. Weird was bad. They’d been called weird and freaks all their lives and it hadn’t exactly led to a great childhood.

“It’s ok,” Sideswipe said, struggling to move higher up the exam bed. Sunstreaker automatically helped him, once more worrying about how weak his twin seemed. “It’s ok, Sunny. If I’m not dying, that means whatever this is can be fixed.”

“Want you fixed now,” Sunstreaker replied mulishly. He reluctantly sat down next to Sideswipe’s hip when he was tugged closer, trapping Sideswipe’s closest hand between both of his.

“I know. I know, baby, but you know how triage works,” Sideswipe said, relaxing back against the mattress. “And for once, I’m gonna obey doctor’s orders. I don’t know how long Ratchet is gonna be and I’m worn out.”

“Take a nap then,” Sunstreaker instructed, gazing down at his brother. “I’ve got your back.”

Sideswipe smiled up at him, his optics already dimming. “I know you do.”

\--

“So, what’s going on?” Sideswipe asked sleepily. He scrubbed at his optics, feeling a little perkier after his nap. He still felt weighted down and slow, but his fuel pump was finally beating at a more normal pace.

“Hoist noted an abnormality on your spark exam,” Ratchet said, lifting his hand-held scanner. He passed it over Sideswipe’s frame from the top of his head to the bottom of his pedes, then brought it back up. “It’s the only thing truly off.”

“… alright… open your chestplates, but you can keep your crystal up,” Ratchet instructed, scanner held at the ready.

Well, now Sideswipe knew why Ratchet had drawn the privacy shield. Sighing, Sideswipe transformed his chest armor aside and kept his gaze focused on the ceiling. He was always a little unnerved to expose his core like this, even to someone whom he trusted as much as he did Ratchet.

Having Sunstreaker at his side helped with the unease. As did his twin giving a subtle shake of the head after peeking into Sideswipe’s thoracic cavity.

So, at least through the crystal, Sideswipe’s spark appeared normal. Huh.

Ratchet slowly waved the scanner in front of Sideswipe’s crystal, optics fixed on the tiny screen. After the scanner beeped, Ratchet frowned, glaring down at the machine.

“What are you seeing?” Sunstreaker demanded after a moment.

Ratchet gave himself a little shake and reached out for the nearby monitor, hauling it closer and turning it on. A second later, it flickered to life and showed an image of Sideswipe’s spark. After a moment, Sideswipe realized it was a video lasting approximately half a minute long which Ratchet had set to play on a loop.

“It looks normal to me,” Sideswipe said with a questioning lilt to his voice.

“Well, it’s not. Look… here.”

Ratchet froze the image and pointed at a spot which was maybe two shades darker than the rest. It was small, maybe half the diameter of Sideswipe’s little finger.

“That’s his bond scar,” Sunstreaker said. “… isn’t it?”

“No, that’s on the other side actually. Here… look at the two in comparison.”

Ratchet hit a few buttons on the scanner and pulled up two images side by side. It was a little more obvious that the bond scar was quite a bit larger but didn’t explain what the first spot was.

“Ok… So, what is it? You’re killing me here, Ratch,” Sideswipe said nervously. “What, do I have cosmic rust or something?”

“That would honestly be more likely than this. Let me show you another image, one in profile and maybe then you’ll understand.”

After pressing a few more buttons, a single image replaced the other two and Sideswipe could see that the dark spot was in fact a very small bump protruding from the rest of his spark. But that still didn’t give Sideswipe any kind of clue as to what it was. When he glanced at Sunstreaker, he looked just as lost as Sideswipe was.

“Right. Well, Ratchet, I gotta tell ya.... Sunny and I are great at ripping the things out of other mechs, but we have no clue as to diagnosing whatever the hell that is,” Sideswipe said, starting to get a little irritated.

Was he dying or not?

Ratchet sighed and pointed to the small bump. “That, Sideswipe, is a kindled bud.”

Sideswipe blinked at the medic several times trying to comprehend. He glanced over at the screen and then back to Ratchet. “I’m sorry?”

“A bud! A newspark! You’re sparked up!” Ratchet exclaimed, waving his scanner in the air before exasperatedly tossing it on the end of Sideswipe’s exam bed.

Sideswipe’s processor felt like it was lagging. “Sparked… up?”

“Yes! Did you two take on a third recently?” Ratchet asked, folding his arms over his chest and looking back and forth between the two of them.

“What? No,” Sideswipe replied, wrinkling his nasal ridge at the thought. “It’s always only ever been the two of us. But I thought it was like a one in a zillion chance of us sparking.”

“You’re fraternal twins with two separate clutches of CAN… in theory, it’s possible. And it’s more like a one in a million chance. Which would be zero if your shunt were actually in working order.”

Sideswipe reared back at the glare Ratchet directed at him, holding his hands up in surrender. “Woah, hey, I didn’t know it wasn’t working. And our intake medic said it wasn’t like we needed them anyway. Even if we ever kindled, our sparks would be too small to sustain a bud. So that thing’ll just absorb over time, right?”

“Again, yes, in theory. If by some miracle, a set of fraternal twins managed to kindle, the newspark should abort almost immediately. Immediately… as in hours. The problem, boys... is that that bud is a good _four months_ old. And looking quite healthy.”

Sideswipe glanced over at the image again, swallowing heavily. “Um…”

“So, against the odds, somehow you two managed to kindle a bud and despite your spark being a good third too small to support life, it is. Which is why you collapsed out there today. Your spark can’t handle the draw of both the bud and the energy you need for a sustained battle. I’m honestly surprised it’s taken this long to be a problem.”

“He’s been recharging a lot. Eating more snacks,” Sunstreaker said softly and Sideswipe turned his head to stare up at his twin. “I didn’t think anything of it. He gets depressed sometimes and…”

Sideswipe elbowed Sunstreaker in the side. “Excuse you!”

“We’re in the middle of a war, Sides. There’s nothing wrong with it,” Sunstreaker snapped. “Except when it’s not actually a bout of depression but because you’re pregnant!”

“Hey! Why is everyone looking at me like it’s my fault?” Sideswipe protested, feeling a little irritated that they both were glaring at him. “It takes two to tango, mister, and only a medic is going to catch that my shunt isn’t working so both of you… lay off!”

Sideswipe pushed himself off the berth, wobbled in place for a second, but ultimately gained his feet without any light-headedness.

“Sideswipe…” Ratchet reached out for him, but Sideswipe dodged his hand.

“No! I’m apparently not actually dying so I’m going back to my room to take another nap to indulge the parasite,” Sideswipe said, angrily gesturing towards his chest. “Let me know when you’re both done acting like this is all on me.”

“Sides!”

Sideswipe stormed out of the cubicle and out through the main treatment bay.

\--

“Let him go,” Ratchet said as Sunstreaker made to follow his twin. “Let him cool off.”

Sunstreaker turned and looked at the medic in surprise. “What? Why?”

“Because he needs some time to work through this news. Nngh… he’s not quite wrong,” Ratchet said, rubbing his chevron as if it were aching. “One of us should have caught that his shunt wasn’t intact. His last full physical was three months ago, and the shunt had obviously failed prior to that. And I _know_ we’ve done scans on his spark between now and then, so I don’t know how we missed a bud.”

“I’m sure checking to see if a charge shunt was functional wasn’t high on anyone’s list of priorities, especially for the two of us,” Sunstreaker replied, crossing his arms over his hood. Every poke at Sideswipe along their bond was repelled with an irritated ‘backhand’ and Sunstreaker was starting to think that maybe Ratchet was right about letting Sideswipe just be for a bit. “And I’m sure that if someone _did_ catch it, they would have either assumed it was our bond scar or it was about to abort anyway.”

“Maybe. Still. It was a failing on Medical’s part. And he’s obviously not wrong that it takes two to kindle. If _your_ shunt had failed, this could have easily been you.”

“I just don’t get it,” Sunstreaker complained. “His spark has always been the smaller of the two. How is this even possible?”

“Well, twins in general are a statistical anomaly and there still isn’t a whole lot known about either split sparks or fraternals. Maybe the moon and stars were aligned exactly right. Who knows? Regardless, the more important issue at hand is what do we do next?”

Sunstreaker nibbled on his lower lip as he mentally took a step back away from the initial shock and thought about the ramifications of this discovery. “Can it… can you get rid of it?” he asked haltingly. His fuel tanks churned at the thought, but they _were_ still in the middle of a war. Not the best environment in which to raise a sparkling.

Ratchet tilted his head to the side and considered Sunstreaker. “Yes,” he said slowly and evenly. “Easily. It wouldn’t be difficult to kill the miracle newspark at all.”

“Wow.” Sunstreaker raised an orbital ridge at Ratchet. “Let me guess what option you’re favoring.”

“I’m not favoring any option,” Ratchet said, holding his hands up as if in surrender. “It’s not my decision. There are several factors to consider, the most important is if you two decide to keep it…”

“… how are we going to raise it in a war?” Sunstreaker finished.

Ratchet sighed and shook his head. “That’s important, yes. But not the most important. No, the most pressing thing on my mind is what is a five-year pregnancy going to do to Sideswipe’s health?”

\--

An undetermined amount of time later, Sideswipe was jostled awake by another frame sliding onto the berth and pressing against his back.

Groggy and still a little weak, Sideswipe didn’t do much other than shift to accommodate Sunstreaker’s arm around his waist.

“… I’m sorry.”

Sideswipe sleepily blinked at the wall and patted Sunstreaker’s hand. “Thank you. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry too. I think I might have over-reacted a bit.”

“Well… it’s you,” Sunstreaker said.

“… it’s a good thing I’m too tired to kick you out of bed,” Sideswipe grumped good-naturedly. “So, what else did Ratchet say? Did he give you all the deets? What do we gotta do to keep the thing healthy?”

For a long moment Sideswipe thought Sunstreaker might have fallen asleep, but then he moved away and started tugging at Sideswipe. He rolled over under Sunstreaker’s guiding hands and re-settled, the two of them facing one another.

“Sides… Ratchet doesn’t think you’d survive a full pregnancy,” Sunstreaker said, making Sideswipe’s vents catch. “The odds are pretty low.”

“The odds were pretty low that one of us would kindle too,” Sideswipe pointed out.

“He… acknowledged that. Said he couldn’t say for sure how you would do. But you’re already not feeling great at just four months,” Sunstreaker said.

“I’m managing,” Sideswipe retorted. “Besides, what’s the alternative? Abort it?”

Sunstreaker looked pained and averted his gaze. 

“Primus. You want to kill it. The one-in-a-million chance kid,” Sideswipe said sharply. He jerked back, wanting to leave the bed but Sunstreaker was between him and open space and Sideswipe didn’t think he’d have the strength to clamber over his brother.

“No! I didn’t say that!” Sunstreaker’s helm shot up and he curled his fingers tightly around Sideswipe’s upper elbow. “Miracle child or not, that’s definitely not my first choice. But if I have to choose between you and it… well, you’ll always my first choice.”

Sideswipe searched Sunstreaker’s face, seeing the concern… and fear.

“It’s not like I just want to throw my life away,” Sideswipe said softly, recognizing the emotions floating down their bond. “But it’s a _kid_ , made up of equal parts of me and you. That’s… that’s big, Sunny. I think I should at least try. Did Ratchet say how long we would have before we couldn’t abort any longer?”

“Not really. He made it sound like sooner was better, but he didn’t give an actual time frame,” Sunstreaker said, frowning a little. “It’s ultimately up to you. It’s your body and I’ll never tell you what to do with it. But I just want you to be careful.”

“I can be careful,” Sideswipe replied. Because while Sunstreaker was right about it being his body, it didn’t negate the fact that their sparks were irrevocably tied to one another.

He flashed his brother a cocky grin. “I’m always careful.”

Sunstreaker rolled his optics as Sideswipe expected him to, jumping at the small bit of levity that Sideswipe had provided.

“You don’t know the meaning of the word.”

\--

“I thought you might,” Ratchet said after Sideswipe informed him of his decision to keep the sparkling. “If you change your mind at any time, just let me know. Abortion is easier in the first and second trimester, but it still can be done in the last one as well.”

“What can we expect in each trimester?” Sunstreaker asked.

As soon as they had entered, Sunstreaker had moved to the corner and leaned against the wall, with his arms crossed over his chest. Sideswipe had elected to sit in one of the two chairs in front of Ratchet’s desk. The sleepiness was starting to fade, but there was still a hint of weakness in his frame. It told him that if he pushed things too far too quickly, it would rise up once more with a vengeance, and Sideswipe would really like to not experience that again any time soon.

“I’ve put aside some reading for you both,” Ratchet said, holding up several data pads before sliding them across the desk. Sunstreaker pushed off from the wall and strode over to pick them up, subspacing the devices without onlining them.

“Definitely read those from beginning to end, but in brief, the first trimester is about spark development. It’s the most delicate time frame and the one in which we see the most spontaneous abortions. If the carrier spark isn’t healthy or strong enough, the bud will wither and fade at the lack of support. Or sometimes the bud itself has congenital defects that will cause it to be reabsorbed.”

“So, what do I do to ensure we both stick around?” Sideswipe asked. “Are there supplements to take, or…?”

Ratchet nodded. “Yes. I will be giving you supplements to add to your energon. And as of right now, you’re on heavily restricted duty. No more fighting.”

Sideswipe opened his mouth to protest but shut it again when Sunstreaker gave him a strong nudge across the bond. He threw a glare over his shoulder at his twin before turning back around. “Ok, that sucks, but I get it. What about Sunny? Since we’re bonded, does that mean the same thing applies to him?”

“No. Not right now. That may change as things progress. I’m honestly not sure how your bond will factor in. It may complicate matters, or it may be a saving grace. We’ll just have to take it day by day.”

Sideswipe nibbled his lower lip, unhappy. He didn’t like the idea of Sunstreaker fighting without him by his side. Who would watch his back?

“What about the second trimester?” Sunstreaker inquired.

Ratchet sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Second trimester is going to be interesting. It’s when Sideswipe’s gestational tank will start to create a host frame for the bud. If you make it to this point, Sideswipe, I’m probably going to take you off duty all together and place you on bed rest from there on out. Not only will there be strain on your spark, but on your body as well. The carrier’s frame is the source material for the sparkling’s frame. It will be drawing nutrients from you, which means you’ll probably be on double or even triple supplemented rations by that point.

“This is also the point where I might have to take Sunstreaker off duty as well. Typically, the mate supplies the energy for the conversion of raw nutrients into a sparkling frame.”

“How does that work?” Sideswipe asked, confused. All he could envision was Sunstreaker donating energon through a transfusion.

“His transfluid,” Ratchet said bluntly. “The charge contained within fuels your body’s creation of the sparkling’s frame.”

Sideswipe blinked at Ratchet for a moment, taking it in. “Wow,” he finally said slowly. “I never realized just how much creating a sparkling actually does take two to tango.”

“But will Sideswipe’s body be up to ‘facing by then?” Sunstreaker asked, pushing off from the wall to come and stand behind Sideswipe. He placed his hands on Sideswipe’s shoulders and gently squeezed.

Ratchet shrugged. “I’m honestly not sure. And I’m honestly not sure you’ll be able to keep up with the energy demands. I have no idea what strain your body will be under either as Sideswipe’s spark will likely draw on yours for support.”

Sideswipe felt like he had been dunked in ice water. “So, this pregnancy could really hurt Sunny as well?” he asked, his voice small. Risking himself was one thing. But to risk his twin?

“I can’t say for certain, Sideswipe. This is all very unprecedented. I can make educated guesses but that’s it.”

Sideswipe turned and glanced upwards over his shoulder. “We’ll see how it goes. Like Ratchet said: day by day,” Sunstreaker said in reply to Sideswipe’s silent question.

“And finally… third trimester. The bud will start detaching from your spark and descend into its frame, getting ready to unfurl. In comparison to the other trimesters, this one will be easiest on you. No specific energy requirements – you just need to keep yourself fueled and free of damage,” Ratchet said.

“If I can survive that long,” Sideswipe summed up.

Ratchet nodded. “If you can survive that long.”

\--

“Blech. That tastes horrible,” Sideswipe said, glaring at his cube of energon. He held it away from him as if the fuel inside might leap out and attack him.

“Too bad. Drink it anyway,” Sunstreaker said, pushing the container towards his twin.

“What does it taste like?” Hound asked, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

“Jet fuel mixed with dirt,” Sideswipe replied, closing his optics. He shuttered his vents and brought the cube to his lips, swallowing rapidly. When there was nothing left, he slammed the cube on the table and reopened his optics, looking at the innocuous container with a look of abject despair.

“This is my life now? I’m Prowl’s secretary and my fuel tastes like death?” he said mournfully.

“You wanted to keep the sparkling,” Sunstreaker replied. “This is what it’s going to take.”

Once the rest of Command had been informed and provisions had been arranged, Prowl had announced Sideswipe’s pregnancy to the rest of the Ark. There was no getting around it; Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were frontliners in the very definition of the word. If either of them was absent from the battlefield for any length of time, someone was bound to notice.

The news had overall been received well. Many mechs were overjoyed at the concept of new life, especially between two mates who had always been considered unable to ever conceive. The one surprising thing had been a video call from the Nemesis two days after the announcement. Optimus, Prowl, and Jazz had taken the call in the conference room and all three of them had been shocked to see Starscream and Soundwave in the monitor with what appeared to be a sulking Megatron in the background.

Starscream had demanded a confirmation of the pregnancy from Optimus Prime himself and once he had gotten it, he had fallen silent, looking contemplative. Soundwave had taken over at that point, announcing that the Decepticon High Command had much to discuss and would be reaching back out at some point.

While it wasn’t explicitly stated, the general consensus was that a cessation of hostilities might be on the table. What that would look like was anyone’s guess, but in the meantime, the Autobots continued to run every day as if any might be the next battle.

Except for Sideswipe.

Sideswipe was restricted to light duty, which currently consisted of guard monitor shifts and assisting the officers with administration duties.

And as Prowl had the most office work, Sideswipe was placed with him the most frequently.

“You wanted to keep it too,” Sideswipe muttered.

Sunstreaker glanced over at him and his expression was clearly one of ‘I’m Not Impressed With Your Temper Tantrum, Grow Up.’ Sideswipe sighed even more deeply and tilted to the side, ending up with his head on Sunstreaker’s shoulder.

“I’m going to be a bad parent,” Sideswipe said. “I’ll probably whine more than the kid does.”

“The first step of rectifying a behavior is recognizing the behavior,” Hound said solemnly.

\--

“Sunny. Sunny. Sunny. Sunnysunnysunny…”

Even though he knew his twin was sparked up, Sunstreaker sat up swinging.

Gently.

“What the fuck do you want?!” Sunstreaker snarled, head fuzzy from being brought out of a deep recharge by nothing as important as a call to arms.

“Give me your spark,” Sideswipe said urgently, slithering atop Sunstreaker. His hands patted at Sunstreaker’s hood, urgently trying to push the plates apart at the seams.

Sunstreaker’s hands relaxed out of their fists. “… what?”

“Your spark! I need your spark!” Sideswipe exclaimed, pulsing need and urgency down their bond. Sunstreaker heard a click, and then Sideswipe’s armor started sliding aside, exposing his shielded spark chamber.

“Uh… what?”

“Sunstreaker, I know you’re not an idiot, so open your fucking chest!” Sideswipe growled.

Startled at his twin’s vehemence, Sunstreaker did as demanded, Sideswipe collapsing down atop him with a pained groan.

“What is going on?” Sunstreaker wondered, mostly to himself. He winced when Sideswipe pressed close, the edges of their chest cavities rubbing against one another. Normally by now, he’d feel the heat of Sideswipe’s spark against his own, but it felt muted.

“Baby needs it,” Sideswipe muttered, hands clawing into the bedding on either side of Sunstreaker’s head. “It’s a Primus-damned parasite! Oh… ohhhh… that’s better…”

Sideswipe slowly went limp and Sunstreaker cautiously took hold of his twin’s waist. A shallow merge clicked into being and Sunstreaker experienced his twin’s ebbing need and rising contentment.

“Are we… is it ok?” Sunstreaker ventured, uncertain.

“… mm. I think it’s hit a growth spurt. Apparently, my spark isn’t enough for it,” Sideswipe said drowsily. “You know when you haven’t had fuel for like a _really_ long time?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, that’s what I’ve been feeling for the past day or so, except in my spark. Finally realized that I needed to leech off you for a bit,” Sideswipe said. “But not like… all the way… I can’t seem to retract my crystal.”

“Ok…” Sunstreaker’s spark had always shored up Sideswipe’s a little bit, both by existing and through merges. Or at least that’s what Ratchet had told them. So, he supposed it made sense that now that Sideswipe was living for two, merges would have to take place a little more frequently.

“Think we… might have… to… merge… more often,” Sideswipe said faintly in echo of Sunstreaker’s thoughts, and then his systems powered down. A moment later Sunstreaker heard a tiny little snore.

He stared up at the ceiling, now completely alert and part of a partial merge that he had no idea how long would last. Sighing, he opened a communication line and hoped Ratchet was still awake.

\--

“Huh.”

“That’s all you have to say is ‘huh’??” Sideswipe demanded. “I haven’t gone through a year of nasty-ass fuel and being Prowl’s paperwork bitch for a ‘huh’. I think I deserve a bit more detail than that, Ratchet.”

Ratchet leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Sideswipe. Sideswipe glared right back, arching an orbital ridge in challenge. At his side, Sunstreaker shifted and placed a hand on Sideswipe’s shoulder, squeezing gently.

Sideswipe irritably shrugged, dislodging the touch, and making Sunstreaker sigh.

“Sorry, Ratchet. He’s in one of his moods today.”

“I’m not fucking moody!” Sideswipe snapped, transferring his glare to his twin. Sunstreaker merely glanced at him before looking over at Ratchet and making a small gesture in Sideswipe’s direction as if to say, ‘see? Moody.’

Which, fine. He had been going through some dramatic emotional swings over the past two months, but who wouldn’t with a parasite leeching off their life source? He was constantly tired, always felt weak, and it was galling to only be able to work six-hour duty shifts before he started nodding off wherever he was at. Sideswipe still hadn’t gotten used to the fuel supplements, of which, he’d been taking double doses recently in order to ensure everything was functioning as normally as it could be for the sparkling.

Sideswipe thought he’d been pretty committed to this thing and he wanted an answer that was a little more descriptive than ‘huh’.

Ratchet rolled his optics and let his arms fall, reaching out to the nearby monitor. He poked at it a few times before turning it to face Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.

“Your sparkling appears normal. Healthy… thriving even. It’s of a slightly above normal average size for the timeline,” Ratchet said, pointing at the protuberance on the profile of Sideswipe’s spark. Sideswipe squinted at it while rubbing his chest.

Little bugger had _grown_ since the first time he’d seen it.

“And how’s Sideswipe?” Sunstreaker asked. Sideswipe glanced up to see his twin not even paying the screen any attention. It was slightly gratifying to see how brother so concerned for Sideswipe instead of the miracle child that had managed to put a halt in the Autobot-Decepticon conflict. On Earth at least.

“Maintaining,” Ratchet said, flicking the monitor off. He held up a datapad and scrolled through a few screens before shrugging. “It’s concerning how frequently you’ve been reporting the need to merge, but other than that, nothing that I hadn’t expected. I’m sorry you hate the taste of the supplements, Sideswipe, but they’re keeping you, and your sparkling alive.”

Sideswipe slumped in place, guilt swirling through him. He knew Ratchet had a remote monitor on him and crunched data several times a day to adjust the supplements and to come up with suggestions for the pregnancy’s progression. The medic didn’t have to do that, but Sideswipe knew Ratchet worried.

“Thank you, Ratchet,” Sideswipe replied in a small voice, ducking his head.

“You’re welcome. Sunstreaker – how are you holding up? Your systems are showing signs of stress.” 

Sideswipe’s head shot up and he bit his lower lip as he considered his twin. Throughout everything, Sunstreaker had been stalwart and accommodating despite Sideswipe’s complaints, mood swings, and random demands. He abstractly knew Sunstreaker was probably feeling the strain, but his brother hadn’t said a word about it to him.

“I’m fine. More tired than usual the past month or two, but nothing I can’t handle,” Sunstreaker said.

Ratchet squinted his optics at him. “Uh huh. Well, I have a sneaking suspicion that Sideswipe’s going to be heading into second trimester a little sooner than I originally thought so as of today, I’m restricting you to light duty and starting you on half supplements. Your spark is supporting Sideswipe’s, so we need to make sure it is staying healthy too.”

Sunstreaker visibly hesitated before nodding. “Alright. If you think it’s best.”

“Ha! You can join me on desk duty with Prowl. Hey, Ratch, you keep saying the sparkling seems more developed than you thought,” Sideswipe commented, turning back around to face Ratchet as a thought occurred to him. “Is it growing too fast?”

Ratchet looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I don’t believe so. Pregnancy timelines are somewhat variable and are only rough guides. Plus, I don’t know a conceive date so it’s possible that the sparkling is actually older than we thought.”

“Well, if it means a few less months of pregnancy than anticipated, I’m all for that,” Sideswipe said emphatically. 

~ End Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
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	2. Second & Third Trimester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start getting a little more scary.

“Sunny.”

By now, it was instinctual for his chestplates to start to transform aside when Sideswipe’s voice woke Sunstreaker up in the middle of the night. This time though, a hand plunked down on the widening seam and paused the transformation.

“Something wrong?” Sunstreaker asked, sitting upright, and dislodging Sideswipe’s hand. “What do you need?”

Sideswipe’s face twisted a little and he looked adoringly at Sunstreaker. “You are the sweetest thing, I swear to Primus. And I need to ‘face. Like, right now.”

\--

The second trimester came in with a bang. Multiple times a day. One minute Sideswipe was moody and tired, and the next his appetite for interfacing had become voracious and he was constantly cheery and upbeat.

Much more his normal self really, so Sunstreaker found himself indulging Sideswipe whenever he asked. It was a relief to tumble onto the berth with him and be intimate again. During the first trimester their interfacing had petered off into nothing as Sideswipe hadn’t been interested. The switch back to Sideswipe’s lustful self made Sunstreaker think that things were going to end up fine.

Which is when of course they stopped being so.

Sideswipe still had moments where he was sleepy so watching him walk into the corner of the doorway to the washracks was nothing new. Normally, he’d just rebound off the solid surface, reorient himself, and continue on. But two months into the second trimester, Sideswipe rebounded, only this time with a short, choked-off scream.

Sunstreaker was at his side within seconds, hands hovering as he surveyed his twin’s frame. “What? What happened?”

Sideswipe was clutching the arm that had hit the doorway, the elbow joint specifically. When he looked up at Sunstreaker, his lips were pressed together so tightly they were practically colorless. “My diagnostics tell me that I have a broken humeral strut. I’d be tempted to say my diagnostics are out of whack, but I’ve broken struts before and it feels a lot like this. I don’t… I just… I didn’t even hit it that hard.”

“Ok, back to the couch, I’m calling Ratchet,” Sunstreaker instructed, placing a hand on Sideswipe’s good shoulder and another on his lower back and gently prodding him back into the living room.

“What? No, I can walk down to MedBay!” Sideswipe protested.

“You probably could. But I’d rather not someone bump into you and break something else,” Sunstreaker said, thinking of Ratchet’s description of the second trimester. The datapads on pregnancy had mentioned something along these lines as well.

“That couldn’t happen,” Sideswipe said, but even he looked a little uncertain.

-

“Oh yeah, definitely broken,” Ratchet announced, carefully manipulating the limb. “And there’s a marked decrease in density of your struts from just two weeks ago when I measured it last. Fragitall, I didn’t think things would change that quickly.”

“So, my struts are weak?” Sideswipe asked. He grimaced when Ratchet manipulated his arm around, placing it in a sling.

“Probably not in the way you’re thinking. Think about supercooled metals and how brittle they are. That’s what’s happening to you. The sparkling is leeching metals away from your frame to build its own which is causing your struts to be brittle. Have you two been interfacing regularly?” Ratchet asked, looking up at Sunstreaker.

“About two to three times a day,” Sunstreaker said. “He’s like the energizer bunny.”

“Hey! You haven’t exactly been complaining,” Sideswipe said, leering up at him.

“No. But now I wonder how we’re going to do that anymore, considering you’re likely to shatter if I look at you too hard,” Sunstreaker retorted. “You hit that doorway with barely any pressure at all.”

“I should be able to tweak your supplements, strengthen the mixture of metallic components,” Ratchet mused. “That will help a great deal. And we’ll have to double the amounts from what they were already.”

Sideswipe threw his head back with a groan, Sunstreaker flinching until he realized the couch back was at the perfect height to cradle his twin’s suddenly fragile helm.

“Oh, yay… more supplements…”

\--

Interfacing got… interesting… after that. Sideswipe’s sex drive managed to somehow increase, and he often had a wide-opticked look about him, almost as if he were about to jitter out of his plating from sheer need.

Ratchet confined him to quarters, worried like Sunstreaker had been about someone accidentally brushing up against him the wrong way. Sunstreaker would have preferred that Sideswipe not move from the mound of pillows and other bedding that Sunstreaker had made for him, but Sideswipe was still Sideswipe, pregnant or not. He needed stimulation and since physical methods had to be somewhat limited, his processor reached for whatever it could.

“Hey, do you see that datafile on whale songs that I had out here?” Sideswipe asked, appearing in the doorway to their berthroom.

Sunstreaker immediately jumped up and began gently pushing at his brother. “No, but I’ll look for it. Next time just ask me. Don’t get out of bed.”

“Well, give me a reason to stay there,” Sideswipe asked, throwing a smirk over his shoulder.

“Oh, Primus. Don’t look at me, watch where you’re putting your feet,” Sunstreaker exclaimed. Just yesterday Sideswipe had complained that he couldn’t feel the bottom of his pedes and ended up tripping over them. Sunstreaker had been right there to catch him, but as he had, he had worried that he would break Sideswipe in doing so. Fortunately, Sideswipe had just sustained the lightest of dents where Sunstreaker had grabbed his arm, but he still felt horrible about it.

“I will if you come back to bed with me,” Sideswipe cajoled.

“We literally just interfaced an hour ago,” Sunstreaker said, exasperated. He now understood why Ratchet had said that that he would need to be on restricted duty as well. Sunstreaker was really starting to feel the drain in his own energy levels.

And Sideswipe had been right; the supplemented energon was disgusting.

“Yeah, but then I fell asleep before I could get my cuddle on,” Sideswipe said as Sunstreaker eased him down back onto the berth mattress. “How am I supposed to survive without my Sunny snuggles?”

Sunstreaker sighed, looking into Sideswipe’s earnest face. “You’re lucky you’re adorable. And sexy. Even though you’re getting fat.”

Sideswipe gasped in outrage. “I am not!”

“You’re beginning to show,” Sunstreaker pointed out, settling down next to his twin. He carefully placed a hand on Sideswipe’s abdomen, rubbing it from top to bottom. It honestly wasn’t that noticeable but Sunstreaker knew Sideswipe’s frame as well as his own. There was a slight curvature there now that hadn’t been there a year ago.

Sideswipe flopped down onto his back and felt where Sunstreaker had, his end of the bond going suddenly quiet. Sunstreaker watched him for a moment before gently prodding him.

“Sides? You ok? You’re not really fat, you know. I was just joking.”

“No, I know,” Sideswipe replied quietly. “But you’re right; I _am_ beginning to show. It’s just… now it’s really real, you know?”

Sunstreaker rolled his optics and gently gathered Sideswipe into his arms. “It’s been real for me since you dropped on the battlefield that day. Besides, do you think Ratchet would have given you those supplements just to see you make those faces you do?”

Sideswipe started to giggle and a moment later Sunstreaker snorted at his twin’s silent mirth. “Ok, yeah, he might, and it would be well deserved for all the slag you’ve put him through over the years. But he wouldn’t keep it up for this long. It’s real, alright.”

Hand remaining cupped around his mid-section, Sideswipe nuzzled up under Sunstreaker’s throat and settled with a sigh. “I know.”

\--

“Could we do something like human sperm donation?” Sunstreaker asked, wearily lowering himself down onto the couch.

Sideswipe was conked out on their berth and hadn’t even stirred when Ratchet had come in and did his weekly exam and sampling. Eight months into the second trimester and he was back to being more often asleep than awake. But when he was awake…

Ratchet raised an orbital ridge at Sunstreaker and promptly whipped out his scanner, passing it over him. “Getting tired?”

“Tired and worried I’m going to hurt him. He doesn’t seem to have gotten any worse, but he also hasn’t gotten any better,” Sunstreaker said, referring to Sideswipe’s overall brittleness. There had been one more fractured strut since the first, a small one in his left wrist several weeks prior. And Sideswipe’s plating both looked and felt thin to the touch. When they interfaced, Sunstreaker made sure that they weren’t touching other than their pelvises, something Sideswipe was greatly displeased about.

But Sunstreaker would be damned before he had breaking Sideswipe while he carried their child on his conscience.

“You are running a little ragged, aren’t you?” Ratchet said, frowning. “I could…”

“If you increase the supplements, I’ll take them, but seriously… does it have to be actually interfacing? Or does he need just transfluid?”

Ratchet looked thoughtful. “You know, I’m not entirely sure. Transfluid almost immediately loses its charge after it leaves its owner’s tank. So, collecting it and storing it may degrade some of its energy. But…

“… would he be ok with taking donations other than yours?” Ratchet asked, tilting his head towards the berthroom.

Sunstreaker nodded. “We talked about it a few days ago. He was actually the one who suggested it.”

“I’ll look into it,” Ratchet promised. “Wheeljack can help me come up with some kind of containment system, I’m sure. It’s worth a try, if only to give you a bit of rest now and then.”

\--

“This feels 100% nonsexy,” Sideswipe announced, staring up at the ceiling.

Sitting by his side on the bed, Sunstreaker leaned over his twin and caught his gaze. “What are you talking about? Hasn’t it always been one of your fantasies to have Ratchet administer other mechs’ transfluid directly into your valve?”

Sideswipe made a face and then twitched when Ratchet flipped open a bottle of lubricant from between his legs.

“No. No offense Ratch, but the only fantasy I’ve ever had of you is you relaxing on the beach somewhere with a glass of high grade in your hand and several young, nubile mecha dancing for your viewing pleasure.”

Sunstreaker glanced down at Ratchet to see the medic gaping at Sideswipe. “I’m confused. Are you saying you want to live vicariously through me?”

Sideswipe raised his head up and spread his thighs wider so he could peer down the length of his frame at Ratchet. “No, I’m saying I want you to be relaxed and happy. War’s on pause and everyone else gets to play; why do you have to be stuck manning the MedBay all the time? It’s not fair.”

Sunstreaker was treated to the rare sight of Ratchet being utterly gobsmacked.

“I… well, who else is even remotely qualified to handle your problematic aft?” Ratchet grumbled ducking his head but looking pleased. “I’m inserting this now.”

Sideswipe made a small noise and then went still, Sunstreaker peering down his body and watching Ratchet’s hands. After today, the hope was that Sunstreaker could take over the administration of the collected transfluid.

“Ok, that’s all done,” Ratchet announced several seconds later. He withdrew the modified syringe, placing in on the towel he had ready. “… hm.”

Sideswipe sighed. “Ratchet – what have I told you about all the ‘hms’ and ‘huhs’?”

“Shut up, brat, it’s how I process… there’s a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Sunstreaker asked, leaving Sideswipe’s side and moving to Ratchet’s. He followed Ratchet’s line of sight and frowned. “Oh.”

Out of nowhere, a pillow soared through the air and hit Sunstreaker on the side of his face. He reflexively snarled at his twin, but Sideswipe met his glare head on.

“Someone tell me!”

“In an unaroused state, the transfluid isn’t going to go anywhere, Sideswipe,” Ratchet explained. “When you interface and overload, your valve calipers clench and release rhythmically to help pull the transfluid to the depths of your valve, through the gestational orifice and into your tank, where it can be absorbed for the energy it carries. Right now, you’re just leaking everything back out.”

Sideswipe struggled to sit up and finally propped up on one palm, he reached between his legs, feeling the entrance of his valve. He raised up his fingers, considering the lubricant and transfluid smeared digits.

Then he shrugged.

“No biggie. So, I just have to overload while inserting? The humans have sex toys that do that.”

Sunstreaker exchanged a glance with Ratchet who sighed. He started gathering up his supplies. “I’ll talk to Wheeljack.”

\--

The transfluid donations were anonymous. It was one of Sideswipe’s favorite games to try and guess who each batch belonged to.

“Mmm…” Sideswipe said dreamily, knees pressed together. His hips were raised to add in transfluid uptake, it nothing else by sheer gravity. “That’s an Optimus donation.”

“There is no way you can tell that,” Sunstreaker said flatly. He stared up at the ceiling, frame pleasantly warm. They had pretty much stopped interfacing directly, but they still self-serviced together, Sideswipe nearly twice as frequently as Sunstreaker.

The amount of injections he received daily was frankly alarming, but Sideswipe was up to the task, either self-servicing himself or inviting Sunstreaker to help. Sunstreaker preferred Sideswipe do it, still terrified that he would forget and somehow hurt his twin in a desire-addled frame of mind.

“It tastes different. Sharper,” Sideswipe said, causing Sunstreaker to promptly turn his head and stare at his twin in amazement.

“Tell me you haven’t been taste testing everyone’s transfluid this whole time?!” Sunstreaker demanded.

Sideswipe rolled his optics. “Of course not! ‘Taste’ probably isn’t the right word. I don’t know – it’s kind of like a rush of energy. And his is more… rushy.”

It was Sunstreaker’s turn to roll his optics. “Stick with ‘taste’. ‘Rushy’ isn’t even a real word.”

\--

“Hey, there, handsome.”

Sunstreaker’s datafile was stolen from his grip, only to be replaced by a warm, wriggly armful of his twin.

“What… what are you doing?” Sunstreaker asked, hands held out to the side. His fingers twitched as Sideswipe devoted himself to sucking on the large energon tub in the side of Sunstreaker’s throat.

“I feel better now,” Sideswipe said, leaning back and giving him a flirty look. “Ratchet said my strut density is in the normal ranges now and I want to play.”

“He said they were _barely_ within normal levels,” Sunstreaker retorted, vision going a little staticky when Sideswipe swiveled his hips just so.

“I heard normal. And I thought if you still felt nervous about bruising me, you could just sit there and let me do all the work,” Sideswipe said. Sunstreaker’s lap suddenly turned hot and he groaned faintly when he felt Sideswipe’s valve paint lubricant over his upper thighs.

Sideswipe suddenly leaned back and Sunstreaker had to catch himself from reaching for him. His deviant twin grinned smugly and held up a pair of stasis cuffs, dangling them from one finger. They swung back and forth temptingly.

“And if you’re really, _really_ nervous… well, I could just make sure you don’t have any hands with which to bruise delicate little old me.”

Well… Ratchet _had_ said normal.

\--

And that was pretty much the end of second trimester. Ratchet got as giddy as he ever could, saying he could write a paper on the transfluid injector method he and Wheeljack had come up with. Sideswipe maintained his density just above the low end of normal, so he still couldn’t do anything too strenuous, but he logged a few hours a day with Prowl again and Sunstreaker returned to shorter shifts too, mainly patrols.

The last battle between the two factions had been well over two years ago. A blink of an optic for a Cybertronian, but Optimus and the rest of command had high hopes that this time, the peace treaty would stick. There were rumors that one of the command Trine was knocked up and if that was the case, Megaton had essentially lost all control of his Seekers especially if it was Starscream, which was the general consensus from all of Spec Ops.

Seekers took the human adage of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ to a whole new level. And if it was the Wing Lord, _well_ …

The Ark Autobots still ran as a military unit, but shifts were much less about battle drills and more about helping the scientific division find ways to either create a permanent base on Earth or make the ship safe for a trip back to Cybertron.

Now that Sideswipe was not prone to shatter into a dozen pieces, Ratchet had released him from quarters and he could often be found in various departments, joking and landing a hand where he could. He spent the most time in MedBay, following Ratchet around with the prime goal in life to make him laugh. At one point, Ratchet had got so fed up with his shadow that he put him to work assisting with routine maintenance.

Turned out their knowledge of anatomy used for ripping apart enemies made for a half decent medic, much to Sunstreaker’s amusement.

Sunstreaker himself, now had both the time and the energy to pursue interests he’d thought he’d left behind lifetimes ago. He took up sculpting again and began to accompany Beachcomber and Hound on nature treks to gain inspiration for paintings.

He was never gone long, always too worried about leaving Sideswipe unattended. Of course, by some unspoken agreement, if Sunstreaker wasn’t with Sideswipe, Ratchet usually was, so he had several pairs of optics on him at most points in the day.

Sideswipe had a steady stream of visitors, both old friends and acquaintances. They liked to listen to his pregnancy horror stories thus far and touch his slowly expanding belly.

It was something that Sunstreaker quite enjoyed doing as well and the entire crew learned to sneak touches when Sunstreaker wasn’t around because he got a little snarly when he witnessed others fondling Sideswipe’s rounding abdomen. Only Ratchet was allowed, as were the rest of the medical staff, because they didn’t do it as if Sideswipe was a freakshow.

Sideswipe thought Sunstreaker’s protectiveness was adorable. And hot. Sometimes Sunstreaker was sure Sideswipe engineered confrontations between himself and visitors just so he could shoo them out and promptly pounce on Sunstreaker.

Their interfacing was a lot more satisfactory than it had been in a long while. Sideswipe still couldn’t retract his crystal all the way as the sparkling hadn’t fully detached yet, but he didn’t need the several times a day transfluid uptakes that he once had. So, fragging now was much more of a love making, something they both had sorely missed.

\--

“Mm… that was awesome,” Sideswipe said with a sigh, wriggling a little before sliding off Sunstreaker. He landed at Sunstreaker’s side, back to the rest of the room. When he hit the berth, an odd expression crossed his face, but it was gone in a second, back to one of satisfied contentment.

“Uh huh… good,” Sunstreaker admitted, because his processor was still moving slow and his limbs were sluggish with dispersed charge. “… ok?”

Sideswipe ran a hand down his front, cupping the small mound his belly had turned into. After a certain point, it hadn’t grown any larger which had made Ratchet frown and then shrug, because the developing frame had looked normal, if a little small.

“Yeah…”

He trailed off, and Sunstreaker’s gaze sharpened. “What?”

“Just a little hungry. You gave me a workout,” Sideswipe said with a bright grin.

“You gave yourself a workout,” Sunstreaker retorted. Sideswipe had been especially voracious tonight and they had each had two overloads a piece before Sideswipe had clambered atop Sunstreaker’s spike and rode him like a madmech.

“What can I say? You’re an inspiration. Want a snack?” Sideswipe asked, sliding out of bed. He wobbled a moment before gaining his balance and Sunstreaker saw that odd flash on his face again. It lingered a little longer and Sunstreaker reached out and lightly grabbed Sideswipe’s wrist.

“Hey. You’re sure everything’s ok?”

Sideswipe looked down at his abdomen and poking it, frowning. “Yeah. Just got a little twinge from the sprocket. Probably seasick,” he said, looking up with a leer.

Sunstreaker rolled his optics and released his twin, laying back down. “The kid’s already traumatized and it’s not even born yet. And yes, rust sticks… if you haven’t eaten them all.”

Sideswipe whistled innocently as he wandered out of the berthroom. Sunstreaker lay there with optics closed, listening to the sound of his brother rummaging around in their food stores. Sideswipe was prone to getting up several times a night these past few weeks to get snacks. He’d starting cooking again, so they usually always had something, although his rust sticks left something to be desired, so they traded for them from others.

“You’re in luck, brother-mine!” Sideswipe called out from the other room. “I have a whole package here just…”

Sideswipe trailed off and made an odd sound. At first Sunstreaker thought he had dropped the sticks but then he felt a little thrill of unease through the bond. He promptly sat up straight, staring unnervingly in Sideswipe’s direction.

“Sides?”

“… something’s wrong.”

Sunstreaker was through the doorway in less than a second, although he came to a standstill right inside their living area. He stared at his twin, horror making his lines run cold.

Sideswipe looked up him, optics wide with fright. “I… I didn’t do anything. I was just standing here and…”

One hand kept a death grip on the counter while the other gestured vaguely at the puddle of energon on the floor between his feet. There were fresh trails of it running down the inside of Sideswipe’s thighs, seeping out from behind his interface panel.

“Are you in pain?” Sunstreaker asked, his voice sounding too quiet for his own audials. As if on cue, Sideswipe shuddered, and he clamped an arm over his abdomen.

“I’m… I’m kind of cramping, I guess? Sunny? Is the sparkling ok?”

Sunstreaker opened a direct line to Ratchet, tagging it as an emergency, while he strode over to his twin. Without asking, Sunstreaker swept him up into a bridal carry, ignoring the disquiet he felt with how light Sideswipe was.

“I have no idea. But we’re going to find out.”

~ End Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
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	3. Unfurling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The outcome remains unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter deals heavily and explicitly with preemie birth and an emergency c-section if that is at all triggering to anyone.

They left a trail of energon all the way to the medical bay. Sideswipe didn’t stop bleeding; in fact, he bled even more profusely. His fuel pump started beating arrhythmically and his optics began flickering and Sunstreaker wasn’t ashamed to say that he ran the last two hallways, bursting through the Medbay doors as if they were in a movie.

“Ratchet!” Sunstreaker shouted, gaze darting around frantically for the familiar form.

“Right behind you. The bed in the back,” Ratchet barked, bustling through the doors literally seconds behind them. “’Jack, grab me four bags of med-en and start hooking up lines.”

“Sure, boss.”

Wheeljack bustled past Sunstreaker who only absently noted his presence as Ratchet helped guide Sunstreaker to lower Sideswipe onto the bed.

“He’s bleeding more,” Sunstreaker said, hands shaking from where they refused to leave Sideswipe’s shoulder and arm. “It was a lot to begin with, but…”

“It’s all right, Sunny. You got him here as fast as you could and that’s the first step. How are you doing, Sideswipe?” Ratchet asked, his voice eerily calm. “Can you open your panel for me?”

“I… I don’t know what I did. It kinda hurts, but… if I open my panel will the kid just come shooting out?” Sideswipe asked, optics still spiraled wide. They were starting to pale too, a sure sign of stress and strain.

“No, Sides, he won’t. And even if he did, well, that’d make my life a lot easier. Hold your arm out for Wheeljack and slide this cover aside for me, ok?”

Sideswipe did as instructed, shaking worse than Sunstreaker. Of course, when Sunstreaker witnessed a flood of energon pour out of Sideswipe as his cover transformed aside, he thought he might have gained the monopoly on trembles.

“Primus. _Primus_ , Ratchet…” Sunstreaker said weakly.

“It’s ok, Sunny,” Ratchet said, still in that calm tone of voice. “That’s why we have a transfusion going. Sides is going to be fine.”

“What about the sparkling?” Sideswipe demanded, one hand protectively cradling his stomach. “Is the kid ok? What’s happening?”

“Well, your sparkling takes after his parents and likes to go fast,” Ratchet said grimly, holding a scanner up over Sideswipe’s chest. “He apparently decided that hanging around Sideswipe’s spark was boring, so he abruptly disconnected and dropped down into his frame. Which Sideswipe’s body interpreted as time to force the pod out.”

“But it’s too early!” Sideswipe said shrilly. “You said not for another year!”

“Yup, I did. Frag… frag, this is all wrong,” Ratchet said, the last bit whispered to himself as he read the scanner’s results.

“I’m here, I’m here!”

Sunstreaker looked over his shoulder as First Aid burst though the Bay doors and hurried over to them.

“Hoist said he’s about a minute behind me – what can I do?”

“Oh, slag… you’re bringing in the whole medical team?!” Sideswipe asked in despair, his elbows giving out on him. He flopped back down onto the berth, his optics rolling a little as he panted. “Ow. Feels like the kid is trying to claw his way out.”

“Sparkling’s breech; valvular unfurling is out. Get my tools ready,” Ratchet told First Aid. The younger medic took off across the room like a shot and Sunstreaker felt himself descend a few layers into a sort of numbness.

Breech was bad; he remembered that from his readings.

“And yes, Sideswipe, I put a call out to all my doctors because in case you forgot, I’m not only treating the sparkling, I’m also treating you and your brother. Speaking of, how are you doing, Sunstreaker?”

Sunstreaker startled at being addressed. “I’m… I’m ok, I think.”

Ratchet nodded. “Shocky. I can deal with shocky. Ah, Hoist, perfect timing. We’re going to need a lumbar block, could you get that ready?”

“Absolutely.”

Hoist bustled away, Sunstreaker not knowing when the medic he had materialized in the room. His gaze just kept coming back to the puddle of energon between Sideswipe’s legs, the way it spattered onto the floor in loud drips. Over their bond, Sideswipe radiated ever increasing levels of pain and distress and Sunstreaker had no idea how to respond other than to stand there and hold Sideswipe’s hand.

“You have to cut it out of him, don’t you?” Sunstreaker asked, his voice sounding as if it were far away.

Ratchet was wiping down Sideswipe’s abdomen with disinfectant, but he could apparently do that and look at Sunstreaker at the same time. “I do. Normally, as the sparkling descends, its frame would form a protective pod around it to allow to pass from the tank to the valve and out. But the bud detached and descended too quickly so its frame isn’t getting that message. As small as the bit is, it’ll still be too big to pass through the gestational channel.”

“But Sides has already lost so much energon,” Sunstreaker protested, holding his twin’s hand tighter. Sideswipe was mumbling something to himself, his optics half shuttered and flickering.

“That’s why we’re replacing it. Scuse me, Sunny, I’m gonna need the other arm.”

Wheeljack gently pushed Sunstreaker a few steps higher up the bed so he could reach Sideswipe’s other cephalic port. He quickly inserted a canula and got a second medical grade energon flow started. As soon as he confirmed it was going well, he moved back to the first bag and changed it out.

“Is he gonna be ok?” Sunstreaker asked. His vents were coming faster, a sort of dull panic taking up residence in the back of his spark at all the hustle and bustle around them. “Ratchet?”

“Good, yes, perfect,” Ratchet told Hoist as the other bot held up a large syringe for Ratchet to observe. “Half in each port, then we’ll get started. Yes, I believe so, Sunstreaker. I know this looks scary, and trust me, it’s not an ideal situation, but once we get the sparkling out, we’ll be able to treat Sideswipe a little more effectively.”

Hoist inserted the syringe into the small medical port above Sideswipe’s left hip and injected half of the contents. Then he withdrew it and raced over to Sideswipe’s opposite side doing the same to that port there. Almost immediately after, Sideswipe’s restless mumbles ceased and the lines on his face faded away.

“Oh… oh, tha’s better…” Sideswipe drawled, the death grip he had had on Sunstreaker’s fingers easing. “What’d do?”

“Hoist just gave you a local anesthetic, Sides,” Ratchet called out. He nodded when First Aid approached with a tray of instruments and grabbed a pair of wrapped gloves. Removing their protective casing, Ratchet stuck his hands in them and approached Sideswipe’s side. “Sunstreaker, intellectually you know what I’m going to do next, but it’s gonna look barbaric and messy. I need to be sure you’re not going to attack me.”

Sunstreaker blinked at Ratchet before resolutely turning away and focusing in on Sideswipe’s upper body. “Do what you have to,” Sunstreaker said, drawing on a millennium of trust and respect for the medic that had saved their lives countless times.

“Excellent. Wheeljack, keep up with those bags. Hoist, be ready to start cauterizing. Aid, I’ll need you after,” Ratchet barked.

Sunstreaker jerked in place, his shoulders hunching up to his helm vents once he heard the whine of a saw powering up. He knew all the sights and sounds of the individual pieces of medical equipment in the Bay; this one Ratchet reserved for quickly cutting through thick, dense armor or locations on the body where there were multiple layers of plating. It’d been used on Sideswipe and Sunstreaker both a few times before, but that didn’t help reassure Sunstreaker in the slightest.

Sideswipe made a sound as Ratchet started cutting and Sunstreaker reflexively grabbed hold of Sideswipe’s shoulder in case he started to flail.

“What… what’s happenin?” Sideswipe asked, fighting to open his optics. “Sunny, you ok?”

“I’m fine, Sides. Just keep looking at me,” Sunstreaker said to his brother.

“’Course. You’re the prettiest thing in the room… where else would I look?”

Sideswipe’s head lolled a little bit and Sunstreaker felt a pull on his spark that normally wouldn’t be there. It wasn’t conscious, not like all the times they’ve merged these past few years. No, this was Sideswipe’s body fighting a protracted battle and instinctively reaching out to its other half to prop itself up.

“I’m… I’m going to need a chair or something pretty soon,” Sunstreaker announced, directing the words over his shoulder.

“’Jack, could you… thank you. Sunny, are you feeling weak?”

Sunstreaker nodded and then realized Ratchet probably had his attention directed elsewhere. “Yeah, a little. He’s leaning on me… hard.”

“Understandable. Jack’s coming up behind you with a stool. Shouldn’t be much longer.”

Several seconds later, Sunstreaker heard a loud clang followed by a growl from Ratchet. “Primus, this is a mess. Only you, Sideswipe.”

Sunstreaker didn’t think he meant either of them to hear, but Sunstreaker did and he reflexively looked behind him. A second later, he whipped his head back around, swallowing several times to try and prevent himself from purging. Ratchet had Sideswipe’s abdomen open completely, a crude cut through his armor in the shape of square. The missing plate was sitting by Sideswipe’s hip and energon welled up in the deep cavity, a large pool of it which completely obscured his internals.

“Hoist, start suctioning, we’ll autotransfuse,” Ratchet barked.

“Are you going in directly? Or removing the tank?”

“I think the latter – Sideswipe, I hope you’re not overly attached to your gestational tank because I’m removing it completely.”

“…buh…”

Sideswipe’s gaze had fixated on the ceiling and his fingers were slack within Sunstreaker’s. He was still present in the back of their bond, but his consciousness was barely flickering.

“Ratchet… Ratchet, he’s not doing well,” Sunstreaker said softly, his own spark cramping a little as he reached behind him for the stool and collapsed onto it once he found the edge.

“I know, Sunny. Just hold on. Hold on to him for me, we’re almost done,” Ratchet urged. “The both of you are doing great.”

Sunstreaker didn’t feel like either of them were doing anything other than bleeding out and quietly panicking. Which is when Sideswipe decided to open his mouth and wail like his spark was breaking.

“NOoooo!!!”

Sideswipe struggled to sit up, and Sunstreaker lurched to his pedes, slamming his hands down atop Sideswipe’s shoulder and pinning him to the berth. “Sides, what…?”

“The baby! Sunny, I can barely feel the baby!” Sideswipe keened, optics open and focused intently on Sunstreaker’s face. Despair and panic flooded the bond and Sideswipe’s arms twitched, trying to reach up and grab at his abdomen.

Another pair of hands reached in from the opposite side and Sunstreaker gave Wheeljack a grateful look as he pulled Sideswipe’s arms up and across his chest. Sunstreaker shifted his weight to Sideswipe’s crossed wrists, sending soothing pulses down their bond.

“It’s ok, it’s ok, Ratchet’s got him,” Sunstreaker murmured. He glanced up at Wheeljack. “Ratchet does have the sparkling, right?”

“I believe he just severed the umbilical feed. He’s got to… ok, yeah, he’s…”

“First Aid! I need you!” Ratchet barked, and Sunstreaker heard the stomp of two sets of pedes rush across the room.

“NONONONO!” Sideswipe screamed and jacknifed beneath Sunstreaker’s grip, nearly dislodging him. “I can’t… he’s dying, he’s dying, let me…!”

“He’s not… Sideswipe, he’s not dying,” Sunstreaker said soothingly. He glanced over to the side, watching Ratchet and First Aid’s hands rapidly move over a small, energon soaked lump on a nearby table.

“I can’t feel him… I can’t _feel_ him…” Sideswipe whimpered piteously, his head rolling from side to side, desperately trying to find their sparkling.

“Has he always been able to feel the kid?” Wheeljack asked softly. Sunstreaker looked up from his twin, nodding at the engineer.

“These last few months, yeah. Nothing concrete, just sort of a vague presence in the back of his spark. If we were merged, I could feel it too. It’s only been the past few days that I’ve felt it outside of a merge, but I really have to concentrate to do so.”

Sunstreaker didn’t say the obvious; that there was no way he could concentrate in a time like this to try and sense his sparkling.

“Some carriers and sparklings develop very strong bonds,” Hoist spoke up, his hands flying back and forth in the corner of Sunstreaker’s vision. “Wheeljack, next bag, please.”

“Will… will it hurt the sparkling… this removal?” Sunstreaker asked, finally getting up the courage to look down at Sideswipe’s abdomen. Fortunately, Ratchet had been right. With the sparkling and tank out of the way, it seemed to be easier for Hoist to find the lines that were bleeding and clamp them off.

Hoist’s hands didn’t hesitate, but he also didn’t speak for a moment. Once he did, his voice was quiet and Sunstreaker had to strain to hear him. “You can see how the separation has distressed Sideswipe. The sparkling will feel something terribly similar, I’m afraid. It will decrease his chances of survival, unfortunately.”

Sunstreaker felt a pain in his spark at the news, but he didn’t dwell on it. They had known from the beginning that something bad could happen. And now that it had, Sunstreaker’s main wish was that his brother lived. He hoped their sparkling did too, but it sounded like the former was more likely than the latter.

\--

“I wanna see him.”

Sideswipe had abruptly passed out not long after his tank and the sparkling within had been removed. Sunstreaker had nearly had a spark attack, but Hoist reassured him that it was just stress and energon loss. A few more bags of medical grade energon and several days rest and he would be as good as new.

Sideswipe hadn’t stayed unconscious for long. And as soon as he was awake enough, he started demanding to see the sparkling.

“Ratchet’s still working on him, Sides,” Sunstreaker said for the fifth time. “And you can’t even stand on your own.”

“Aw, come on, Sunny,” Sideswipe cajoled with a ghost of his normal smile. “You could carry me, like when you brought me here. Very dashing. I hope I can see it on the security feeds.”

“When he’s out of surgery, I will carry you,” Sunstreaker promised.

Sideswipe relaxed back against the berth, one hand pressed against the plating covering his spark. “I’m gonna hold you to that. Did you see him?”

His brother was so damned eager to know about the sparkling. Sunstreaker didn’t know how to tell him that the child’s chance of survival was extremely low at this point.

“No, I only saw your tank. Sides…”

Sideswipe pursed his lips and ducked his head. “I know,” he said quietly. “I know.”

\--

Twenty hours after Ratchet removed Sideswipe’s tank, he staggered back over to Sideswipe’s berthside and collapsed into the chair Sunstreaker had vacated in favor of the two of them scrunching up together on the bed.

“Well. He’s alive,” Ratchet said, scrubbing a hand across his optics.

Sideswipe shifted against Sunstreaker, propping himself up on Sunstreaker’s chest. “How likely is he to make it?”

Ratchet considered Sideswipe for a few moments before sighing. “Not very, Sides. He’s premature. His spark hasn’t had time to properly connect to his frame. Wheeljack and I created a sort of incubator on the fly to simulate your body’s support of his until his spark makes its connections. We’re pushing fuel and coolant through his frame, we’re venting for him… everything that a newly unfurled sparkling should be able to do on his own that he can’t.”

“So, he just has to hang on long enough to settle into his frame?” Sideswipe asked hopefully. Sunstreaker gently patted Sideswipe’s arm, stroking up it to grasp his twin’s nape.

“Essentially. But there are so many things that could go wrong while we wait for that to happen, including his spark rejecting the frame. He will need round the clock monitoring and care so after I grab a bit of fuel myself, I’m going to work on a rotating schedule,” Ratchet said. “Hoist is watching him for the moment.”

“Go, Ratchet,” Sunstreaker urged. “Get some recharge while you’re at it. You deserve it. I’m sure the kid wouldn’t even be alive it if been anyone else but you taking care of him.”

“Thank you for everything, Ratch,” Sideswipe added emphatically. “For keeping me going all this time, and doing all you can for the bitlet.”

Ratchet shoved himself to his pedes, swaying a moment before catching his balance. He reached out to Sideswipe and patted him on the helm. “I’ll keep doing what I can. Just… just don’t get your hopes up, ok?”

\--

“He’s so small.”

Two days later and Ratchet had finally allowed them both to visit the sparkling. He hadn’t gotten any worse since his surprise unfurling, but neither had he gotten any better. But that meant he was stable enough for the two of them to visit.

Sideswipe was right. The sparkling could fit in the palm of Sunstreaker’s hand… if he wasn’t connected to the incubator by almost a dozen wires and tubes. There was so much monitoring equipment and other pieces of machinery hooked up to him that Sunstreaker could barely see the kid’s face.

It was hard to look at, but the visual hit Sideswipe even harder. As soon as they laid optics on the sparkling, Sideswipe had started broadcasting despair across their bond.

“Are… are sparklings meant to be that small?” Sideswipe asked, his voice hushed.

“For an unfurled sparkling, no. He’s about two thirds the size of normal. Even if he were still being carried, he’d be on the smaller side,” Hoist informed them, writing down something on his datapad.

Sideswipe suddenly made a choking sound and dropped his head into his palms. “This is my fault! I did something wrong, didn’t I? I didn’t drink the supplements the way I should have, or I got too excited to frag again, or…!”

Sunstreaker’s head whipped around and he stared in horror at his twin’s bowed helm. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw Hoist’s visor flash and the medic made an aborted reach for Sideswipe, but Sunstreaker reached him first. “Sides, no!”

Sideswipe flinched when Sunstreaker embraced him, his frame tense and stiff. “I did!” he sobbed. “I hurt our baby! How could you stand to touch me?!”

“Of all the idiotic…”

Ratchet’s gruff voice caused Sunstreaker to look up and he stared pleadingly at the CMO as he barreled out of his office, directly towards them. “Sideswipe, surely you don’t believe that nonsense?”

Sunstreaker released his twin when he pulled away from him and he watched Sideswipe scrub at his optics with one hand while his other arm wrapped around his midsection.

“What else am I supposed to believe? He was relying on me to keep him healthy and I failed,” Sideswipe said miserably.

Surprising everyone in the room, Ratchet grabbed Sideswipe and hugged him tightly, making Sideswipe’s plating creak a little. “These things happen,” Ratchet said quietly. “You’ve been surprisingly compliant this whole time. You’ve done everything I’ve asked; the both of you.”

His gaze cut up to Sunstreaker before he gently rocked Sideswipe back and forth. After a moment, Sideswipe collapsed against Ratchet’s shoulder, sobbing quietly. “I don’t want him to die! It feels like he did, and I can’t stand it!”

“I know, bitlet, I know. But he’s right there and hanging on to life, against all odds. He’s every bit your and Sunstreaker’s offspring, so I know he’s stubborn as the Pit. We’ll take it day by day, hour by hour. That’s all we can do right now.”

\--

Sideswipe couldn’t bring himself to step away from the incubator for more than a few hours at a time. He healed quickly so in theory he could be added back to the shift rotation, but Ratchet had taken one look at Sideswipe’s pleading optics and had extended his unavailability. Sunstreaker too.

The two of them became near-permanent fixtures in the medical bay. Sideswipe continued his medic lessons with Ratchet and Sunstreaker joined them. It kept Sideswipe’s processor busy and when that wasn’t enough, Sunstreaker would drag him back to their quarters and frag him until he dropped into an exhausted recharge.

Sideswipe had felt so guilty during their first interface that he couldn’t even overload. He had broken down into tears and Sunstreaker had held him close for several hours, silent and stalwart. Sideswipe had sobbed that it didn’t seem right to receive pleasure after his sparkling was struggling for its life only a few hallways over.

Ratchet had whapped him upside the head when Sideswipe had mentioned it the next day. He scrounged up some datafiles on survivor’s guilt and forced Sideswipe to read them right then and there. That helped, but sometimes he still felt so horrible that he would have to pause and vent through the overwhelming emotions.

As the weeks passed, the sparkling had its ups and downs. His fuel pump started working on its own… but his exhaust system failed. Then his ventilation ducts became clogged and it had been a fight to keep them unstuck long enough for the sparkling to keep his engine from overheating.

Wheeljack mentioned something about ‘two steps forward and one step backward’ and Sideswipe found it oddly apt.

Except it would be a long while before their sparkling ever walked.

There was a full-sized medical berth and several chairs in the incubator room, although Sunstreaker refused to let Sideswipe recharge there routinely. He said there was a fine line between obsession and support and Sideswipe couldn’t see it.

Sideswipe supposed he could understand that. If left to his own devices, he’d probably be curled around the incubator every moment of the day and not remember to fuel or maintain himself. As it was, if he wasn’t otherwise occupied, he would be at the sparkling’s side, hand pressed against the plexiglass surface of the incubator in an attempt to get as close as possible.

Ratchet wasn’t letting them hold or even touch the sparkling, which had prompted a temper tantrum and more tears on Sideswipe’s part, but Ratchet had remained firm on that point. The bitlet was at risk for air particle contamination so if any of the medics needed to work with him, they did everything sterilely, as well as they could manage on an organic planet.

Every week Ratchet told him ‘soon, Sideswipe, soon” when asked when he could hold his offspring. He knew Ratchet wasn’t doing it to be cruel, but the back of Sideswipe’s spark where the sparkling had had a connection still ached. He didn’t know for certain if holding his kid would actually repair the bond, but his instincts kept telling him that it would. So, Sideswipe kept telling himself to be patient.

… patience had never been Sideswipe’s forte.

\--

“It’s just for a few minutes,” Ratchet cautioned again, glancing sidelong at Sideswipe practically dancing in place.

“We know, Ratch. I’ll pry him out of Sides’ hands if need be,” Sunstreaker said, gently bumping his shoulder against his twin’s. Sideswipe ignored him, his gaze fixated on Ratchet gently sliding his fingers between the sparkling’s body and lifting him.

Their creation still looked so tiny, although he had grown a little since his forced emergence. His plating wasn’t as see-through as it had once been, and it was much less thin and malleable. He still needed to be in the incubator to help regulate his temperature and waste excretion, but he was now venting on his own without any assistance.

“Alright, one hand under his helm, the other the body,” Ratchet instructed as Sideswipe scuttled up to his side, holding out his blanket-draped arms.

“Mmhm,” Sideswipe agreed absently, the tremble of his frame abruptly leaving him as soon as Ratchet deposited the sparkling against his chest. Sunstreaker felt a long-held tension from Sideswipe’s end of the bond finally ease as his twin stared down into the sparkling’s face and cradled him close. “Heya, baby. It’s Momma; do you remember me?”

The sparkling’s lips moved, his nasal ridge scrunching up as his arms waved about. Suddenly a little dizzy, Sunstreaker reached out a hand and grabbed Sideswipe’s shoulder, pressing in against his side. “Can I touch him?”

Ratchet’s smile was fond as he glanced at Sunstreaker. “Yes, Sunny, you can touch him.”

Sunstreaker reached out a trembling finger and gently nudged the sparkling’s hand. Tiny little digits stretched out straight for a moment before curling around Sunstreaker’s finger. A hurt little noise escaped the back of Sunstreaker’s throat before he could stop it and he ducked his head down, pressing his forehelm against his hand on Sideswipe’s shoulder.

Sideswipe started gently swaying back and forth, Sunstreaker automatically matching the movement as he continued to stare down at the tiny frame in Sideswipe’s arms. He was still primer gray, still stunted in limb growth, but he was the most beautiful thing Sunstreaker’d ever seen.

“Have the two of you decided on a name yet?” Ratchet asked softly, hovering.

“Not ye-“

“Marvel,” Sunstreaker said, speaking over his brother. Sideswipe’s head jerked up in surprise, but the shock faded away from Sideswipe’s face as their optics met.

“Marvel,” Sideswipe said slowly, rolling the word around his mouth. “I like it, Sunny. Marvel…”

“Well, I suppose it’s better than ‘The Miracle Kid That Drives Me Batty on a Daily Basis,” Ratchet said, smiling.

“Please,” Sideswipe scoffed. “You love this child… Grandpa.”

Ratchet rolled his optics while Sunstreaker smothered a chuckle against Sideswipe’s shoulder. “I suppose I’ve been called worse. Alright, Sides, time’s up.”

Sideswipe honest to Primus whimpered and his fingers tightened on the blanket wrapped sparkling. “Sunny hasn’t had a chance to hold him.”

Ratchet gave Sideswipe a Look. “Are you actually going to give him up?”

Sticking his glossa out at the medic, Sideswipe turned and leaned into Sunstreaker, transferring Marvel over to him. “Of course. Sunny deserves to hold his own kid; he’s the one who kept the both of us going this entire time, after all.”

Sunstreaker would argue that that had been Ratchet, but the words died in his throat as soon as Marvel was nestled up against him. The sparkling yawned and Sunstreaker thought his spark would explode out of his chest. Sideswipe wasn’t unaffected either; he cooed and gently stroked a finger down Marvel’s cheek.

Marvel’s head turned into the touch and his optic shutters parted. Both Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stilled, their vents catching in unison as a pale blue gaze lazily passed over them. 

“His optics are open,” Sideswipe announced in a hushed voice, causing Ratchet to peer down into Sunstreaker’s arms.

“Huh. First time as far as I’m aware. Probably because he’s sensing his parental sparks. I doubt he’s able to focus well, but he’ll be able to get a general idea of who you are.”

“Do they imprint? Like… like ducklings?” Sideswipe asked.

Ratchet reared back and blinked at Sideswipe. “Ducklings? Do I even wanna ask?”

“Nope,” Sunstreaker responded. It was bad enough that Sunstreaker had had to have been tortured with several days’ worth of the humans’ documentaries on baby animals. Ratchet didn’t deserve that. “Here, take him back before I’m not going to be able to let him go again.”

Because he already didn’t want to. He wanted to lay back on their berth, Sideswipe plastered against him, and gaze down into Marvel’s face until he fell into recharge, surrounded by the things he loved most. But instead, he passed Marvel back to Ratchet so the medic could replace him in the incubator where the sparkling still needed to stay.

For now.

“He’s gonna make it, isn’t he?” Sunstreaker asked, only now allowing himself to hope. He had squashed that hope down since the very beginning, he realized. Sideswipe’s health had been his focus and if the sparkling made it, well so much the better, but now… now he was fully and completely invested.

Ratchet turned around and smiled at them, the edges of his optics soft. “I think so. Congratulations, boys. You’re parents now.”

~ End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
> 
> \- Short comments  
> \- Long comments  
> \- Questions  
> \- Constructive criticism  
> \- “<3” as extra kudos  
> \- Reader-reader interaction
> 
> [LLF Comment Builder](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/commentbuilder)  
> Author Responses: This author replies to comments (eventually).


End file.
